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Geneva, Indiana
Geneva, Indiana.jpg
Location of Geneva in Adams County, Indiana.
Location of Geneva in Adams County, Indiana.
Country United States
State Indiana
County Adams
Township Wabash
Area
 • Total 1.24 sq mi (3.22 km2)
 • Land 1.10 sq mi (2.86 km2)
 • Water 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2)
Elevation
850 ft (260 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,257
 • Density 1,138.59/sq mi (439.76/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (EST)
ZIP code
46740
Area code(s) 260
FIPS code 18-27216
GNIS feature ID 2396956

Geneva is a town in Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana. The population was 1,293 at the time of the 2010 census. Geneva is the location of the Limberlost Cabin, the home of writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter from 1895-1913.

History

Geneva had its start in 1871 when the rival towns of Alexander and Buffalo merged. It was named after Geneva, in Switzerland. The first post office in Geneva was established in 1872.

The Town of Geneva benefited greatly from the Indiana Gas Boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Oil was found near Geneva and production began in 1892. This brought many new settlers to the area and skyrocketed local land prices. At its height in November 1895, one company, the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, had 160 oil wells in the Geneva field producing 24,362 barrels a month. Production fell off after 1907. Charles D. Porter and his wife, Gene Stratton-Porter, who lived in Geneva from 1886-1913, owned roughly 30 oil wells in the area, and used the proceeds to build Limberlost Cabin in 1895.

Downtown Geneva, Indiana
Businesses in Geneva's downtown historic district

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Geneva has a total area of 1.23 square miles (3.19 km2), of which 1.09 square miles (2.82 km2) (or 88.62%) is land and 0.14 square miles (0.36 km2) (or 11.38%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 467
1890 748 60.2%
1900 1,076 43.9%
1910 1,140 5.9%
1920 879 −22.9%
1930 895 1.8%
1940 966 7.9%
1950 999 3.4%
1960 1,053 5.4%
1970 1,100 4.5%
1980 1,430 30.0%
1990 1,280 −10.5%
2000 1,368 6.9%
2010 1,293 −5.5%
2020 1,257 −2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,293 people, 570 households, and 349 families living in the town. The population density was 1,186.2 inhabitants per square mile (458.0/km2). There were 627 housing units at an average density of 575.2 per square mile (222.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.

There were 570 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 41.1 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Education

Geneva has a public library, a branch of the Adams Public Library System. Geneva is located in the South Adams Schools District.

Notable people

  • L. S. Buckmaster (1894–1967), labor union leader
  • Robert O. Fink, classics professor
  • Gene Stratton-Porter (1863–1924), best-selling author, nature photographer, naturalist, and silent movie-era producer

Notable structures

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Geneva (Indiana) para niños

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